The art is replete with patents which are directed to tracer compositions, incendiary compositions and pyrotechnic compositions. Among such prior art patents are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,811,724, patented Sep. 22, 1998, INFRARED TRACER FOR AMMUNITION and assigned to Primex Technologies Inc. Those patented composition included both strontium and barium. However, such IR tracer compositions suffer from the defect that barium is a toxic element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,257, patented Aug. 26, 1997, MULTISPECTRAL COVERT TARGET MARKER. Such patented target marker included a near-IR emitting photodiode which was encased in a hardened polymeric molding material. Those patented target markers suffered from the defect that they were not easily amenable to be incorporated into an IR projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,552, patented Dec. 24, 1996, INFRARED ILLUMINATING COMPOSITION, and assigned to Thiokol Corporation. Those patented compositions included cesium nitrate and rubidium nitrate as IR generators. However, those compositions suffered from the defects that such nitrates were uncommon, and hence that the compositions were not amenable to commercial production, and also that cesium and rubidium are believed to be toxic and suspected carcinogens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,536, patented Dec. 5, 1995, TRACER MIXTURE FOR USE WITH LASER HARDENED OPTICS, and assigned to the US Secretary of the Army. Those patented compositions included magnesium as well as strontium nitrate, sodium nitrate and barium therein. However, such IR tracer compositions suffer from the defects that barium is a toxic element and that sodium emits yellow light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,999, patented Dec. 18, 1990, TRACER COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME, and assigned to The Minister of National Defence, Canada. Those patented compositions included magnesium and strontium nitrate. Thus, those patented composition suffered from the defect that magnesium emitted an excessive amount of visible light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,810, patented Jul. 1, 1986, by N. E. Trickel, TRACER UNIT FOR AMMUNITION. Those patented compositions included magnesium and strontium. Thus, those patented composition suffered from the defect that toxic magnesium emitted an excessive amount of visible light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,711, patented Jun. 13, 1978, TRACER AND COMPOSITION, and assigned to Ford Aerospace & Communications Corporation. Those patented composition included magnesium. Thus, those patented compositions suffered from the defect that they emitted visible light due to the presence of magnesium.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,899,291, patented Aug. 11, 1959, by R. H. Hieskell COMPOSITION FOR TRACER UNIT. Those patented compositions included magnesium, and barium and antimony sulfides. Thus, those patented compositions suffered from the defects that the presence of barium and antimony rendered the composition toxic and the presence of magnesium resulted in the emission of visible light.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,856, patented Jan. 19, 1988, PYROTECHNIC DEVICE, and assigned to Pains-Wessex Limited. Those patented compositions included titanium. Those patented compositions suffered from the defects that they generated excessive heat and also emitted visible light due to the presence of metallic titanium.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,816, patented Oct. 5, 1976, COMPOSITIONS FOR PRODUCING FLICKERING SIGNALS and assigned to Thiokol Corporation. Those patented compositions included magnesium and/or aluminum, and barium nitrate or sodium nitrate. Such patented compositions suffered from the defects that they were toxic due to the presence of barium, emitted white light due to the presence of magnesium and/or aluminum and emitted yellow light due to the presence of sodium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,464, patented Nov. 21, 1989, SIGNAL OR RESCUE FLARE OF VARIOUS LUMINOSITY, and assigned to the US Secretary of the Army. Such patented compositions included magnesium or aluminum. Those patented compositions suffered from the defect that they produced visible light due to the presence of magnesium or aluminum.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,907, patented Oct. 19, 1976, ILLUMINATING FLARE COMPOSITION CONTAINING TETRANITROCARBAZOLE, and assigned to Thiokol Corporation. Such patented compositions included magnesium granules. Those patented compositions suffered from the defect that they produced visible light due to the presence of magnesium granules.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,503,814, patented Mar. 31, 1970, PYROTECHNIC DEVICE CONTAINING NICKEL AND ALUMINUM and assigned to the US Secretary of the Navy.
Such patented compositions contained magnesium as well as bismuth oxide. Those patented compositions suffered from the defects that they generated excessive heat, produced visible light due to the presence of magnesium.